Rockies find fan did not yell racial slur

DENVER -- After what the Rockies termed a “thorough investigation,” the club said in a statement that a fan did not yell a racial slur at Marlins outfielder Lewis Brinson during the ninth inning of Sunday’s game at Coors Field.

The statement reads as follows:

“After a thorough investigation that included calls, e-mails and video clips from concerned fans, media and broadcast partners, the Colorado Rockies have concluded that the fan was indeed yelling for Rockies mascot Dinger in hopes of getting his attention for a photo, and there was never any racial slur that occurred.

“The Rockies remain dedicated to providing an inclusive environment for all fans, players and guests at Coors Field, and any fan using derogatory language of any kind will be ejected from Coors Field.”

On Sunday evening, after video of the alleged slur emerged on Twitter, the Rockies released a statement condemning what they thought at the time was an offensive taunt, and the club said it would investigate the incident.

Because broadcasts use multiple microphones, and some microphones are designed to blend sound so that individual fans cannot be picked out, they had to narrow their search to a few microphones. Video provided by the broadcaster showed the fan in question looking in the mascot’s direction (and not at the field) while gesturing for the mascot’s attention when shouting. That video footage, combined with the evidence from the microphones and interviews with nearby fans, led to the Rockies reaching their conclusion.

The findings of the investigation were first reported by 9NEWS in Denver on Monday morning.